Swanky gets down with DCP2.0!

First and foremost a big thanks to Resolve and the whole BPS crew for the opportunity to try out the new incarnation of the much fabled DCP! I'm really excited to see what this can do for me in the next 4 weeks. My goal is to be the most ripped dude in the hospital when my wife and I go in 6 weeks (or whenever the little guy decides to come out) for our new son to be born!

Here's the profile for all of you:

BPS' New & Improved DCP 2.0: Damage Control Protocol!

Body Performance Solutions (BPS) is excited to announce the release of the second generation of the wildly popular fat buner DCP, we are now ready to release to you the newly formulated and super potent DCP 2.0!

While the original DCP worked very well and created quite a large following of raving fans, we did find a couple of limitations based on user feedback and emerging science.

One was directly related to an increase in something called CPT1, which was greatly important for fat burning (and it still is in the new formula) but it ended up depleting the body's carnitine supply which led to side effects such as cramping in some users, and also just plain put a "governer" on the potential rate of fat loss (don't worry, keep reading and this will all be explained).

Not only have we found a way to counter these limitations and thereby eliminating side effects and blowing the doors of the fat burning potential, we've also added several new extremely innovative ingredients while removing TTA (you won't miss it).

The science behind DCP 2.0 is thick, but we've laid it out for you one ingredient at a time in a very digestible format (also with references at the end of each section to make it easier to go look them up), so give it a read and you'll find out right away why we're so excited to bring this revolutionary fat burner to the market.

Artemisia Iwayomogi

Where does it come from?
Artemisia Iwayomogi (AI) is a Korean herb from the Asteraceae family. It is made up of at least 20 known compounds, however it is not known exactly which and how many of these compounds are responsible for providing the numerous benefits.

Current research is pointing towards a couple of the compounds in particular, scopoletin and Dibromo-4-methoxybiphenyl, as having some pronounced benefits in the body, although there are likely many other players at work (1,2).

As we know, herbs such as this are often far more than just the sum of their known parts; for this reason a full spectrum 20:1 ethanol extract has been chosen for inclusion in DCP 2.0.

What is it going to do for me?
AI is an exciting little herb, and although research in humans is in its infancy, the current published data have given us reason to expect big things with regards to accelerating fat loss and improving overall health.

Primary Effects

Activation of PPAR (delta)
PPAR is one of the three main nuclear receptors in the PPAR family (along with alpha and gamma). It can be found in brain, adipose, skin, and skeletal muscle.

Increased expression of this nuclear receptor has been shown to increase fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle by shifting the body's metabolic preference away from carbohydrate in favor of lipids (9).

This is favorable for multiple reasons. Obviously this means you'll be burning more fat per unit of time, but one side effect of the body relying less on carbohydrate and more on fatty acids is that the latter is a cleaner burning fuel. During exercise you will produce less lactate, prolonging the accumulation of hydrogen ions as well as reducing the total ROS output. Burn more fat, better workout performance, quicker recovery.

Increased expression of CPT1
AI has been shown to upregulate Carnitine Palmitoyl Transferase (CPT1B), which is a key reason why this herb is going to speed up the fat loss process (1).

CPT1's are a class of mitochondrial enzymes, the "B" subtype are found in skeletal muscle as well as white and brown adipose tissue (WAT & BAT). This enzyme is responsible for transporting long chain fatty acids (LFCA's) across the outer cell membrane so they can be delivered inside the cell to be oxidized. So simply put, more CPT1, more fat is handed to your furnace on a silver platter.

Increased expression of PDK4
Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase Isozyme 4 (PDK4) is an enzyme that phosphorylates something called pyruvate dehydrogenase with the help of ATP, rendering it inactive. This process converts pyruvate to acetyl-coA, thereby increasing energy expenditure. AI has been shown to upregulate this enzyme (1).

Improves efficiency of two out of three steps in the fat burning process
For your body to actually "burn" fat, it has to go through a three step process. Step one is liberating the fat from stored tissue, known as lipolysis. Step two is transporting the fat; step three is actually using it as fuel, known as beta oxidation. AI encourages a higher rate of both transport and oxidation.

Secondary Effects

Intracellular antioxidant, bone growth stimulation
Scopoletin (previously mentioned compound in AI) has been shown to be an intracellular antioxidant, suppressing ROS and superoxide anions in osteoclasts, and looks to be an important player in differentiation of these cells (2). Research also shows AI can actually stimulate osteoblasts to make new bone (6).

As we learn more about the vital role of bone on regulating full body metabolism and the importance of osteocalcin in this process through its interaction on adipokines such as adiponectin, this could provide a metabolic boost from another pathway (10). We will revisit this when we discuss Carnitine Fumerate.

Upregulation of secondary fat burning genes
AI has also been shown to upregulate several other genes affecting energy expenditure and lipid efflux including PGC1A and UCP3 (1).

Suppression of inflammatory cytokines
Multiple studies have looked at the effect of mice given a high fat diet with or without concurrent administration of AI. They have found remarkable results including reduction of visceral fat gain, prevention of elevated lipids, leptin, glucose and insulin as well as a reduction in several inflammatory cytokines including TNF-s and IL-6 (1,3).

Hepatoprotective
AI has also been shown in mice to prevent damage from alcohol consumption (yep, they got mice drunk). The mice that weren't lucky enough to get a dose of AI saw their cholesterol and triglycerides jump up and fat burning take a nose dive, while the group that received AI didn't experience these side effects from the alcohol (5).

Allergy relief
One final thing to mention, completely unrelated to fat burning but interesting nonetheless, AI appears to have a positive and significant effect on reducing symptoms of allergies through an interaction with histamine and suppression of inflammatory cytokines (7,8).

Are there any side effects?
No known side effects

Catalposide

Where does it come from?
Found in nature in multiple places, Catalposide can be extracted from the unripe fruit of Catalpa ovata as well as the flower Veronica peregrina.

What is it going to do for me?
Catalposide will increase fat loss by one main mechanism

Primary Effects

PPARa (alpha) activation
PPARa activation is directly involved with all three stages of fat burning, and is one of the most important players in lipid metabolism. It is triggered naturally during calorie deprivation and in severe carbohydrate restriction to aid in the production of ketones.

In a 2012 in-vitro study, catalposide treated hepatocytes showed a significant reduction in triglyceride concentrations along with an increased uptake of fatty acids by 70%, an increase in fatty acid oxidation, and suppression of fatty acid synthesis (1).

Secondary Effects

Anti-inflammation
Catalposide has been shown to reduce the inflammatory cytokines in the epithelial cells of the intestines, which could provide a therapeutic effect in those with gut dysfunction (2).

Are there any side effects?
No known side effects.

Salvia miltiorrhiza

Where does it come from?
Salvia miltiorrhiza is an Asian perennial plant from the Salvia genus.

What is it going to do for me?

Primary Effects

DGAT inhibition
Diglyceride acetyltransferase is the enzyme responsible for the third and final step in producing a triglyceride from glycerol and fatty acids. Inhibit DGAT, which Salvia m. has been shown to do, and you reduce fat accumulation and increase leptin sensitivity significantly (6). If your body wants to store more fat, it cranks up DGAT activity. Not anymore.

Improves lipid metabolism in the liver
When feeding rats a high fat diet for six weeks (which is unnatural for their species unlike humans), the control group showed increased body fat accumulation, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, and increased liver enzymes. The group fed a high fat diet in conjunction with Salvia m. did not show any of these negative effects from the high fat diet (9).

Secondary Effects

Cardiac protection
Salvia m. has been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation or blood "stickiness", as well as protecting heart cells from free radicals and inhibit myocardial cell apoptosis (cell death) (1). It has also been shown to protect against LDL cholesterol oxidation (2,3).

Where does it come from?
Both forms of carnitine are derivatives of the amino acid L-Carnitine found in protein.

What is it going to do for me?

Primary Effects

Resupply carnitine as a transport molecule
Propionyl-L-Carnitine (PLCAR) is included to supply an increased demand for carnitine in the body due to upregulated CPT1 activity from Artemisia. If we crank up CPT1 and don't resupply extra carnitine, which is the main transport molecule for LCFA's, this substrate shortage causes things like cramping and an eventual plateau in fat loss. Of all of the forms of carnitine, PLCAR appears to offer the most benefits to an exercising individual.

Secondary Effects

Osteoblast upregulation
Carnitine Fumerate has been added to DCP 2.0 due not only to its ability to efficiently resupply depleted carnitine in addition to PLCAR, but also because of it's unique ability to positively modulate osteoblast function. This was mentioned previously when discussing Artemisia as having a potentially huge impact on whole body metabolism and energy expenditure, making it the perfect carnitine choice in conjunction with PLCAR (1).

Are there any side effects?
No known side effects, these carnitines will in fact prevent potential side effects of the overall formula (carnitine depletion).

Through modulation of NE and hormone sensitive lipase, RK’s appear to be a powerhouse for encouraging fat loss and prevention of fat gain. When mice were fed a high fat diet, RK’s prevented visceral and liver fat accumulation as well as reversing the gain in previously obese mice (3). Recently liver fat has been implicated in metabolic disturbances to an even greater degree than the previous villain, visceral fat, so this is a benefit of great magnitude for overall health (4).

In another study, after 120 days of a TRPV1 agonist researchers concluded adipogenisis and obesity were prevented by activation of TRPV1 channels (5).

Secondary Effects

Pain, anxiety, and depression management (1,2)

Are there any side effects?
No known side effects

Mangiferin

Where does it come from?
Mangiferin is known as a xanthanoid, and it is found in mangoes as well as a few other places in nature.

What is it going to do for me?

Primary Effects

Increased expression of PPAR-a
This is the second PPARa activator in addition to catalposide, magniferin has been shown in several studies to cause an effective upregulation (1,3,4). As a refresher on PPARa, its activation is directly involved with all three stages of fat burning, and is one of the most important players in lipid metabolism. It is triggered naturally during calorie deprivation and in severe carbohydrate restriction to aid in the production of ketones.

Decreased expression of PPAR-gamma
PPAR-gamma is responsible for increasing storage of fat in the fat cell, mangiferin has been shown to reduce its activity thereby reducing fat storage (2).

Downregulation of DGAT
This is the second compound in the formula to target DGAT in addition to Salvia m. As a refresher, diglyceride acetyltransferase (DGAT) is the enzyme responsible for the third and final step in producing a triglyceride from glycerol and fatty acids. Downgregulate DGAT, which magniferin has been shown to do, and you reduce fat accumulation and increase leptin sensitivity significantly (1).

Increased expression of CPT1
Along with Artemisia, this is the second ingredient in the formula to target CPT1. As a refresher, CPT1's are a class of mitochondrial enzymes, the "B" subtype are found in skeletal muscle as well as white and brown adipose tissue (WAT & BAT). This enzyme is responsible for transporting long chain fatty acids (LFCA's) across the outer cell membrane so they can be delivered inside the cell to be oxidized. So simply put, more CPT1, more fat is handed to your furnace on a silver platter. Mangiferin has been shown to effectively upregulate CPT1 (1).

Improves glucose utilization
This is accomplished by increasing GLUT4 density on the muscle cell (where insulin binds to allow glucose to enter) as well as activating AMPK (an important cellular energy signal) (2,5).

Prevention of differentiation of adipocytes
Satellite cells are like babies that can grow up to be whatever they want to be. Or, more accurately, whatever they're told to be. If a satellite cell is informed that calories are in excess, and the host needs more silos to store all the grain (metaphor intended), these cells are instructed to become adipocytes. However this doesn't have to be the case, these cells could grow up to be neurosurgeons, firefighters, or myocytes. Mangiferin helps steer these impressionable young cells in the direction you want, more muscle, less fat.

Are there any side effects?
Carnitine depletion.

Momordin

Where does it come from?
Momordin is a bioactive glycoside extracted from the bitter melon fruit grown throughout Asia, Africa & The Caribbean.

What is it going to do for me?

Primary Effects

PPAR (delta) activator
This is the second ingredient in the formula to target PPAR?, alongside Artemisia.

As a refresher, increased expression of this nuclear receptor has been shown to increase fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle by shifting the body's metabolic preference away from carbohydrate in favor of lipids (9). Momordin has been shown to upregulate human PPARdelta expression in vitro (1).

Inhibit fat storage and increase lipolysis
A study done in 2011 showed Bitter Melon Juice (containing momordin) was able to have a two-pronged attack on fat metabolism by inhibiting its storage as well as increasing rate of lipolysis in human fat cells (2).

Had a bad case of hives hit me out of the blue and kept me up alllll night itching last night so I messed my alarm this morning. I'll hit chest tomorrow AM instead then, but I'm going to get in a good back session on my lunch today, so I'll update with that later on!

About 10 minutes after it I had some herbal flavored burps for a little bit. lol, no big deal and probably has nothing to do with the DCP, I've been having some pretty regular indigestion lately, probably stress related.

It's now about 2 hours after my dose, and I'm sitting at my desk, in the A/C, sweating. Looks like it doesn't take long to kick into high gear. lol!!

Ok, so I hit up a nice back session in my office gym a little bit ago. Just in case any of you haven't followed my logs before, when I have a notation in parenthesis it is showing change from last time I did that workout. i.e. flat bb bench 205x10(+2) would mean last time I did 205x8. OR if I write 210(+5)x10 it would mean last time I did 205lbs.